Mt. Kailash Saga Dawa Festival Tour

Following breakfast the following morning, you will go for a full-day sightseeing trip of the Kathmandu Valley. You may see Swyambhunath, a very old temple that is essentially classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the revered Pashupatinath Temple.

Highlights of our guided trip include the largest Buddhist stupa at Boudhanath and the exquisite artwork and old architecture of Kathmandu Durbar Square, which showcase the ancient culture of Nepal.

Patan City’s historic architecture and renowned fine arts will charm you on a visit. You will have time to explore the neighborhood, eat supper, and maybe take a leisurely stroll down the well-known streets when you get back to your hotel. A traditional Nepalese dinner at the Nepali Cultural Restaurant rounds off the day.

After breakfast, we visit the Potala Palace, a golden feather on the world’s roof that Tibetans proudly assert is the greatest miracle since the creation of the world. It is noticeable from any distance, with the golden roof shining in the sun. Spend an hour wandering around the inside of this magnificent edifice, visiting the rooms previously used by the Dalai Lama and the many Buddhist icons contained within.

In the afternoon, we go into the Jokhang. Then take a stroll through the back lanes of Barkhor in Old Lhasa. The streets reeked of yak butter and incense, and thousands of pilgrims shuffled around the major Kora (circumambulations) around Jokhang Temple. If someone simply walked at a usual speed, one kora would take about 15-20 minutes.

In the morning, take a visit of Drepung, the world’s largest monastery with over 10,000 monks, where Buddhist discussions frequently take place. From afar, the monastery’s enormous, white structure resembles a heap of rice. As a result, it was given its Tibetan name, Monastery of Collecting-Rice. Learn about Tibetan monastic life there.

The afternoon is spent seeing Sera Monastery, taking a short climb to see the stunning valley scenery nearby, and picnicking there. Sera monastery was founded in 1419 and has long been an important Buddhist institution. The monastery is also known as “the court of wild rose” since roses are scattered across the grounds. Today, there are still 200 lamas living there. Catch the famous debate sessioin of the monks before returning back to Lhasa.

After touring Lhasa, you can get lost in the vast Tibetan scenery by taking a short stroll along the turquoise waters of Lake Yamdrok, one of Tibet’s four holy lakes. This beautiful lake is typically first seen from the summit of Kamba-la (4700m). The lake is several hundred metres below the road and has the shape of a coiling scorpion. Mt. Nojin Kangstsang (7191m) towers in the distance.

After that, continue on to Gyantse (3,950m) via the 5,010-meter-high Karo-la and Simi La. Visit Pelkor Monastery and the magnificent Kumbum Stupa (100-Thousand-Buddha Pagoda) adjacent, both erected in the 15th century and located on the northern outskirts of Gyantse. In the afternoon, drive around 90 kilometers to Shigatse (3880m), Tibet’s second largest city with 40,000 residents and the traditional capital of the Tsang.

This morning, you’ll have the opportunity to visit Tashilunpo Monastery, the Panchen Lama’s abode, which is practically a walled town with cobblestone and twisting pathways centered on a magnificent monastery. Then drive to Saga via Lhatse and sung sung, passing by various lakes, cities, and high plateau nomadic camps. Saga contains a number of Indian pilgrimages to Mt. Kailash. Overnight in Saga.

The distance from Saga to Zhongba is 145 kilometers; the road is decent, and there is a little monastery on a hill at the western end of town. From Zhongba on, the southern road deteriorates. There is also a risk of vehicles getting stranded. However, this portion of the route offers panoramic vistas of mountains on each side. There will be multiple river crossings, and we will drive past Mayum la pass (4600 meters) from Paryang to Lake Manasarovar. The setting is breathtakingly gorgeous, with panoramic views of the Himalayas.

In the morning, you can trek around the lake and photograph Mt. Kailash in the distance. Lake Manasarovar is one of Tibet’s holy lakes, covering 400 kilometers square. Billions of Buddhists and Hindus revere the lake. In the afternoon, drive to Darchen, the main gateway and settlement in front of Mt. Kailash. Darchen’s lodgings are very plain and basic. You can relax, recuperate, and prepare for the next day’s hike.

The guide will assist you in organizing yaks or ponies for the Kailash circuit trip in Darchen. Darchen also serves as the Kailash Pilgrimage Circuit’s Point of Exit to the Sacred Mount Kailash (Kang Rimpoche). Overnight in Darchen.

Pilgrims congregate at Darchen before commencing the Kailash kora, where the flag-bedecked pole is raised annually. While pilgrims travel clockwise circuits around the pole, rites are held under the oracle’s direction. The raising of the pole is eagerly anticipated, since the pole’s final position foreshadows Tibet’s fortunes for the future year. Today, we shall visit the festival.

Start the Kailash circle today; it is 53 kilometers long and can be completed in three days. We move west in a clockwise direction. Only 4 kilometers from Darchen, the trail ascends over the southwest edge of the ridge to a cairn (4,730m). The trail then swings north to the Tarboche flagpole. The flagpole is replaced every year at the Saga Dawa festival. After trekking through the Lha-chu valley, we arrive at Chuku monastery, where we can rest. After another three-hour journey along the river, we arrived at the Dirapuk monastery, our first stop for the day.

Trek along Drolma Chu to reach Jarok Donkhang (5,210 m). After a time, Shiva-tsal (5,330m) appears in front. It is a rocky landscape littered with stone cairns draped with garments. Our next obstacle is to cross Drolma La Pass (5,630m), the highest point on the kora, where you can catch one last view of the north face of Kailsh. Following the ascent, we face a severe fall. Almost immediately, Gauri Kund Lake becomes visible. Finally, after a lengthy valley and river, we arrive at the Zutulpuk monastery, our second stop for the day. O/N: Camp.

The final day’s trip begins with a leisurely trek down to the point where the river exits onto the plain. The valley narrows, and prayer flags float across the river. There is a rocky route from here to Darchen that takes less than an hour to walk, past many mani walls adorned with yak skulls. Finally, our kora ends up in Darchen.

In the morning, we will visit ancient Sakya Town and tour Sakya Monastery, which has amazing murals and a large collection of texts and statues. Then we’re about to drive from Sakya to Shigatse.

We’ll follow Yalong Valley back to Lhasa. On the route, you can stand on the viewing platform to see the huge Yalong River bed and visit the Water Mill Tibetan Incense Workshop. Drop off at the hotel in Lhasa.

The tour is also available for tourists who begin in Lhasa and end at the Sino-Nepal border, so if the group has members who are leaving Tibet for Nepal from Gyirong, we will see them off at the Sino-Nepal border, so the itinerary from Day 12 will be completed with a valuable detour to Gyirong, giving you one extra destination to Kelong Valley, which is considered the most beautiful valley at the foot of the Himalaya Mountain Range and attracts many tourists each year.